The Venting Thread

[mamselle]

There's bland, and then, there's sane.

Yes. It was the late Fiona, a.k.a. "The Thread-Killer."

I tried a few times to emulate her, but I apparently lack her thread-killer-fu.

Tips I observe:

A. There's a Rectangular Firing Squad (RFS) that can't leave each other alone. If I see a thread started by one of them, I ignore it, let it drop to my "unanswered list" (takes a couple days) and let it go.

Nothing to see there, move on.

B. A couple of the RFS are fine on their own, so I only (functionally) ignore their posts when they have lots of nested quotes and end in a rant.

Single-liners by those folks are usually ok.

C. I abide by the mantra, "You can't change others, you can't change situations--you can only change yourself and the way you respond to those others and those situations."

Makes for more peaceful navigation.

D. I DO report egregious stuff to the mods. Lately, apparently, there's been some backup due to a shift in how those reports show up for them, but if you don't report it, they don't know. (Lower right in all screens).

Use the tools you have at hand.

I'm also distressed at, what, now, four members suggesting they plan to leave.

We need sane ballast, not an echo-chamber.

M.

[marshwiggle]

A. There's a Rectangular Firing Squad (RFS) that can't leave each other alone. If I see a thread started by one of them, I ignore it, let it drop to my "unanswered list" (takes a couple days) and let it go.

Nothing to see there, move on.

B. A couple of the RFS are fine on their own, so I only (functionally) ignore their posts when they have lots of nested quotes and end in a rant.

Single-liners by those folks are usually ok.

This fascinates me. Do they ("we?") have opposing views on topics, so that any one in isolation might have a meaningful point but once they get arguing, they get repetitive?

If so, that suggests perhaps there's a way to try to have discussions which still have the same divergence of viewpoints, but are more insightful.

[mamselle]

Bingo.

M.

[marshwiggle]

Bingo.

M.

Seriously, I'd like to hear you elaborate on this. Can you give an example of a discussion that showed polite, insightful discussion with very wide-ranging views? (I realize that giving a "bad example" essentially outs the members of the RFS, or at least some of them.)

[clean]

I drive to nearby bigger city to fly.  It is about 150  miles, but from that airport, I can get direct flights where I need to go.  Tomorrow that is LAX... and the flight leaves at 6 am , boarding at 530

Long ago I was Elite with LaQuinta (before they were bought out by Wyndham).  I stayed here because they were close to the airport and because they had a shuttle. 

Today, as I checked in, I asked about  the list for the airport.  They said that the airport shuttle NOW runs from 9 am to 9 pm!! 

What the FiretrUCK is that?  I have checked the hotel site and it says "airport shuttle".  It doesnt say "from 9 to 9!".

I then called the Wyndham line.  They confirmed that the shuttle is now from 9 to 9 and only the Day's Inn has better hours 6 to 11. 

So that is useless to me too.

THEN... NOT DONE YET!   

THEN they had the gall to try to transfer me to the line that offers Wyndham Time Share/Vacation Clubs!!!

My reply was,
"Are you seriously trying to transfer me to a time share when I just called you to tell you how annoyed I am that the shuttle hours have changed?  As far as I am concerned at this moment, Wyndham is dead to me as a company!  I have no intention of talking to a time share person!"

We ended the call on 'good terms', but I am done with THIS hotel! 

I will spend down my points and not worry about staying here again. I know that there are at least six other hotels in the area, and I am sure that I can find one that has a usable shuttle, OR is at least a step up in the room quality!.

Vent over.  I have to get up in the morning and DRIVE the rest of the way to the airport!!

[the_geneticist]

I drive to nearby bigger city to fly.  It is about 150  miles, but from that airport, I can get direct flights where I need to go.  Tomorrow that is LAX... and the flight leaves at 6 am , boarding at 530

Long ago I was Elite with LaQuinta (before they were bought out by Wyndham).  I stayed here because they were close to the airport and because they had a shuttle. 

Today, as I checked in, I asked about  the list for the airport.  They said that the airport shuttle NOW runs from 9 am to 9 pm!! 

What the FiretrUCK is that?  I have checked the hotel site and it says "airport shuttle".  It doesnt say "from 9 to 9!".

I then called the Wyndham line.  They confirmed that the shuttle is now from 9 to 9 and only the Day's Inn has better hours 6 to 11. 

So that is useless to me too.

THEN... NOT DONE YET!   

THEN they had the gall to try to transfer me to the line that offers Wyndham Time Share/Vacation Clubs!!!

My reply was,
"Are you seriously trying to transfer me to a time share when I just called you to tell you how annoyed I am that the shuttle hours have changed?  As far as I am concerned at this moment, Wyndham is dead to me as a company!  I have no intention of talking to a time share person!"

We ended the call on 'good terms', but I am done with THIS hotel! 

I will spend down my points and not worry about staying here again. I know that there are at least six other hotels in the area, and I am sure that I can find one that has a usable shuttle, OR is at least a step up in the room quality!.

Vent over.  I have to get up in the morning and DRIVE the rest of the way to the airport!!

Ugh!  Can you take a taxi?  That way you don't have to pay to park at LAX.

[FishProf]

I am running a course in the Spring that takes a trip over Spring break to somewhere warm.  We have been recruiting students, and I am now getting deluged with questions from students who don't read (they get a link to all the posted announcements and information), but I also get some that are just....weird.  As in the what are you thinking, or why would that be a question for me, categories,

Such as:
"I'm a veteran, do I get a discount on travel costs?"  (No); or
"Can I use financial aid on this trip?"  (I don't know.  Ask the financial aid folks); or
"Can I drive (3d) and just meet the class there?" (No).

I have limited tolerance at this point in the semester.

[fishbrains]

I drive to nearby bigger city to fly.  It is about 150  miles, but from that airport, I can get direct flights where I need to go.  Tomorrow that is LAX... and the flight leaves at 6 am , boarding at 530

Long ago I was Elite with LaQuinta (before they were bought out by Wyndham).  I stayed here because they were close to the airport and because they had a shuttle. 

Today, as I checked in, I asked about  the list for the airport.  They said that the airport shuttle NOW runs from 9 am to 9 pm!! 

What the FiretrUCK is that?  I have checked the hotel site and it says "airport shuttle".  It doesnt say "from 9 to 9!".

I then called the Wyndham line.  They confirmed that the shuttle is now from 9 to 9 and only the Day's Inn has better hours 6 to 11. 

So that is useless to me too.

THEN... NOT DONE YET!   

THEN they had the gall to try to transfer me to the line that offers Wyndham Time Share/Vacation Clubs!!!

My reply was,
"Are you seriously trying to transfer me to a time share when I just called you to tell you how annoyed I am that the shuttle hours have changed?  As far as I am concerned at this moment, Wyndham is dead to me as a company!  I have no intention of talking to a time share person!"

We ended the call on 'good terms', but I am done with THIS hotel! 

I will spend down my points and not worry about staying here again. I know that there are at least six other hotels in the area, and I am sure that I can find one that has a usable shuttle, OR is at least a step up in the room quality!.

Vent over.  I have to get up in the morning and DRIVE the rest of the way to the airport!!

Tru hotels are dead to me because of this. I had to walk from the airport to the hotel or pay $30 for an Uber (airport is a ways from the medium-sized city, so no quick rides and no taxis available). You would think airport shuttles would run when the planes do . . .

[mythbuster]

Clean, does the hotel you were staying advertise one of those "leave your car with us" setups? If so then I would be triply mad. If not, or it has changed, you may want to move the car to long term parking anyway. Otherwise it may not be there when you return.

I also live about 150 miles from the "big airport" (it might be same one you use). Anytime we decide to travel international, we fly out of there. Although our local small airport is now getting bigger, so more options are hopefully on the way. It's hard to decide which is the better deal in terms of cost, time, and gas. Small airport has fewer options if something gets cancelled, but then I can just go back home. But the flights are more expensive because it's a smaller airport, and I have to connect to get to the west coast.

Hope your travels are smooth once at the airport.

[Parasaurolophus]

So, uh... how is it, exactly, that the typesetters inserted my tables at random points in the text?

[Morden]

So, uh... how is it, exactly, that the typesetters inserted my tables at random points in the text?

Once someone else's paragraph showed up in the middle of my proofs. I hope you are also talking about proofs and not the final version.

[marshwiggle]

So, uh... how is it, exactly, that the typesetters inserted my tables at random points in the text?

Ha! Once someone else's paragraph showed up in the middle of my proofs. I hope in your case, you are also talking about proofs and not the final version.

In a course I teach, the e-text version has one table that is completely different (and wrong) from the printed text version. Same text, same (i.e. current) edition. (The two tables don't even have the same number of rows.)

[Parasaurolophus]

I paid for access to the World Cup yesterday, so's I could watch today's match (and others). Today, I discovered that I'm being sent on an infinite login loop and, thus, cannot watch the match. Ugh.

[arcturus]

I paid for access to the World Cup yesterday, so's I could watch today's match (and others). Today, I discovered that I'm being sent on an infinite login loop and, thus, cannot watch the match. Ugh.

Canada played well, but lost concentration for a few minutes at the end of the first half. Thus...they are still searching for their first points in World Cup play.

[Parasaurolophus]

I paid for access to the World Cup yesterday, so's I could watch today's match (and others). Today, I discovered that I'm being sent on an infinite login loop and, thus, cannot watch the match. Ugh.

Canada played well, but lost concentration for a few minutes at the end of the first half. Thus...they are still searching for their first points in World Cup play.

Thanks for the recap. I'm not surprised. I expected a thashing, even from Belgium's B-team.

I'm still angry about the infinite login loop though.